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Greater Sandhill Cranes
Greater sandhill cranes are among the most iconic migratory waterbirds of western North America. Commonly considered seasonal harbingers, their movements throughout the predominantly rural landscapes of the Intermountain West are often celebrated with festivals and are timed with seasonal cycles important to agricultural communities. Sandhill cranes are inextricably linked to ranching and working lands. Their…
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Intermountain Insights: Climate Resilience in Persistent Pinyon-Juniper Woodlands
Pinyon-juniper woodlands are ubiquitous across the Intermountain West and important to many–from Tribal Nations and recreationists to pinyon jays and mule deer. However, concern has arisen among researchers and managers about their vulnerability to a warming and drying climate. Managers have indicated that they often lack the information needed to guide climate-smart management in woodland…
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New Study: Vegetation Trends Across BLM Allotments Over 30 Years
Keeping a close eye on plant life across millions of acres of public lands allotments is an overwhelming challenge in and of itself. The challenge is amplified by drought, aridification, and increasing environmental as well as social challenges. Yet, new research provides land managers insight into just how they can get a handle on how…
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Intermountain Insights: Wetland Loss in the Pacific Flyway
A study from the Intermountain West Joint Venture and partners, Functional wetland loss drives emerging risks to waterbird migration networks, identified trends of severe wetland drying in the Southern Oregon Northeastern California (SONEC) region and California’s Central Valley, two of the most significant sites for migratory waterbirds in the Pacific Flyway. The good news? Managers can…
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Intermountain Insights: White-Faced Ibis and Water in the West
This Intermountain Insights takes a look at a fascinating study on white-faced ibis and its implications for the conservation of wetlands in the Intermountain West. Researchers from the University of Montana and the Intermountain West Joint Venture conducted the first-ever long-term monitoring of white-faced ibis breeding habitat. Using satellite imagery, they estimated seasonal flooding across…
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NRCS Practices for Connecting Landscapes
Although fencelines often divide the landscapes of the Intermountain West, water and wildlife do not abide by those boundaries. Conservation of these important resources relies on an understanding of landscape-scale connectivity. This visual representation of various practices used by USDA NRCS on private agricultural land and public land leased for agriculture seeks to create dialogue…
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Science to Action: Takeaways from IWJV’s “Storing Carbon in Sagebrush Rangelands” Report
Carbon sequestration is a topic circulating widely throughout the conservation community. Rangelands are coming into the carbon spotlight due to their sweeping extent and because they store relatively more carbon in soils than forests. The importance of keeping carbon out of the atmosphere is widely understood, but breaking down knowledge on how to protect carbon already stored…
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Intermountain Insights: The Call of the Cranes
Greater sandhill cranes rely on wetland habitat on private and public land throughout the West as they migrate to and from wintering and breeding grounds each fall and spring. New science from the Intermountain West Joint Venture (IWJV) identifies the landscapes and wetland sites most important to sustaining these seasonal migrations. The paper, Migration efficiency…
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Protecting Carbon Stored in Western Rangelands
Western rangelands and grasslands are being recognized for their ability to protect stored carbon long into the future. Rangelands are vast and store over 25% of carbon found in western ecosystems. As the climate warms and the west experiences more extreme weather events like drought and fire, as well as landscape-scale changes like conifer expansion…
